Last Fall
by M. Briggs
Summary: Sonic, Max, Sally, and the Knothole Freedom Fighters prepare for future missions against Robotnik.  Set around the time Sonic is eleven years young.  How will they contend with their first battles?


**LAST FALL **

By Mark Briggs.

Set in the Pre-Doomsday Era of the SatAM series Sonic the Hedgehog. Some time before the pilot Heads or Tails. Characters and ideas copyright by their owners.

Rosie admired knothole during her walk along the late afternoon path. Berries and leafs rested in her basket clutched in her hand. She began over the newly built bridge by her close friend Cat and a new young handy-man.

"Rosie! Please come!" Came a young girl's voice from a thicket.

Rosie the chipmunk set down the basket before running over the bridge to the sound of the girl's voice. Rosie pulled back weeds and branches discovering many youngsters gazing at a yellow glow over a water pool.

"It's a U.F.O." A very small fox ducked behind a taller hedgehog. The banks of the pool remained grassy, weedy, yet clean with no disturbances by fallen trees.

"It's a wedding ring." The brown female squirrel that called out for Rosie said.

"It's a magickoo ring." The tan coyote said.

"Looks cool." The blue hedgehog said.

_This is what King Acorn meant. _Rosie studied it.

"It's a commercial for a new fruit loop." A brown hedgehog jumped off a tree limb into a summersault to land facing everyone. "I haven't had breakfast yet. Let me chow on it."

Everyone sighed. "Not right now, Max." Rosie spoke over the commotion. "This represents an important event."

"Represento importo whato?" Sonic said. "I failed the language test last week."

"Don't remind me that homework is due tomorrow, Sonic." Rosie said. She leaned towards Max. "Max has already turned it in with a picture of me drawn on the top of the paper. It's so sweet of him to do that."

Max turned his head winking at Sonic the blue hedgehog.

Rosie cleared her throat. "C'mon, I'll cook us dinner. I have something important to tell you all. I know I've told you to stay in Knothole. Now's the time to head out more."

In the large kitchen hut Rosie talked to the kids with the older animals at the table as Tails retrieved her basket from the bridge.

"...as you know Robotnik isn't our friend. He wrongfully took over years ago. I don't know if the younger members here remember that day." Rosie began for the door. "I'm going out for a minute. I've explained enough for know. Earlier we wanted a name for ourselves..."

Rosie walked across Knothole Village under the star-lit sky. She was allowed into a hut where a larger walrus grabbed for a screwdriver.

"I'm not done with it. That's why I haven't come to dinner." Rotor the walrus tightened one last screw on shutters for the huts in the village. "You're the one who helped me with determining the difference between a trapezoid and a triangle." He reached for his math homework to stash it in a cabinet.

"Come to dinner, Rotor." Rosie held out her hand. "You'll have more time later. Also, we need your help with something."

Along the way back Rosie went ahead as Rotor had to see about the yellow ring in the pool. Rosie approached the kitchen hut noticing Bunnie Rabbot closing for the door entrance. Rosie's eyes widened.

Bunnie entered the hut as Rosie's voice is heard behind her. Bunnie, also a youngster, has red lipstick on, purple mascara, blackened moles, blush, earrings, and a dress that's more open than usual. "I'm dressed fa dinnah, just like you Aunt Rosie." Bunnie shouted. "Ah like this stuff. Mah eyes are prettie purple too."

Max fell backwards from the bench to the floor holding his stomach. The other youngsters stared while the older animals flat faced. Sally the squirrel began to think if Bunnie had asked first. Rosie came up from behind escorting Bunnie away.

A little while later during dinner Rotor mentioned about the ring grotto. "There's a large crystal filling most of a machine at the bottom of the pool."

"This is what'll give us the edge on Robotnik." Rosie put down her fork. "We've waited a long time to strike. Knothole has been our safe haven for preparation."

"Yeah," Max said. "Lets do it for, Knothole. Lets do it for us and our families. Lets do it to free Mobius."

"I had quite a fight getting the underwater machine to work." Rotor said.

"That's it." Sonic jumped to his feet. "Lets call ourselves the freedom fighters. Cliché but simple. Lets do it."

Everyone cheered. "Lets do it. Lets do it! Lets do it...

"..To it!" Sally ended.

Miles away near the outskirts of the Great Forest, metal trash piles surrounded the early industrial city of Robotropolis formally Mobotropolis. Construction towers and inner hallways with wokerbots and swatbots traveling briskly throughout Robotnik's nation.

"Sorry, sir. I won't happen again, sah." Snively, a bald small man, dropped his toupee in Robotnik's soup.

"Give up, Snively?" Robotnik, the large man in charge, drank his soup anyway. "You should be attending to my new bird Cluck's oil change."

"I'll get right on it, sah. How's business today?"

"Quiet like this whole month. We need to do something about the remaining 14% of the population. A couple organized groups have popped up."

"Yes, sah." Snively walked off.

Robotnik stepped down from his revolving mechanical chair in the main control room for the window. When Snively left the whole room was elevated by Carrierbots outside.

Robotnik rose as he viewed his mechanical city function beneath him. His new throne room of pure metal now hundreds of feet up.

The next day in the very late afternoon, Knothole was its busiest. Sonic ran place to place to collect items while relaying information. Tails helped Rotor build the lookout posts in the trees. Bunnie loved the garden getting crops ready. Rosie, Sally, and others were looking for Antoine.

"Antoine, Antoine?" They called out.

He came running out of the woods. "Someone help me! I amee being chased by the the the beezas! Ahhhh!" He jumped into the ring grotto as a bee landed on a flower from his previous location.

"Antoine, we have work to do." Sally said to Antoine before motioning for a towel. Antoine dried off as everyone dispersed to their required chores.

At the edge of the village Rosie saw a smoke cloud way in the distance as she heard Sally laugh with Sonic.

In Robotropolis many new factories became operational with the radiance of power and energy reverberating throughout the city.

"Music to my ears." Robotnik said to Snively entering the room.

"Yes, sah. I have a preliminary report, sah.""Snively, what do we know about this forest we've stared at over the years?"

"Very little, sah. It's unexplored." Snively and Robotnik looked out the window at the tree line.

"Maybe we should chop it down." Robotnik leaned forward.

"I don't know, sah. I have a PH.D in history. Humanity discontinued using wood a hundred years before we left.""Nevertheless, there could be precious resources. Common sense 101 - don't leave one stone unturned. Send in the upgraded spy orbs."

"Yes, sah." Snively tapped a few buttons on the large mainframe terminal.

The shade deepened as the sun fell. Rosie traveled a hundred feet before she heard Sally's faint laugh. Rosie stared into the forest for a moment then turned back.

Laughing and giggling was heard from the makeshift spa Rotor and the older residents constructed. Max and Sonic tried to whack people with towels as people left the spa; Sally with Rosie checked an old shed.

"Why are we here?" Sally said opening a suitcase.

"It's of the most importance, Sally." Rosie said. A minute of digging rewarded a backpack of several items-a notepad, a ring signet, scrolls, writings, map paraphernalia, and a small square plastic object.

"Here it is." Rosie opened the small object. "Then it's true. It's all true."

"What is it?" Sally reached out for it. The handheld computer spoke in a young beautiful female voice. "Verify user."

"I'm Sally and this is Rosie."

"Please verify Sally."

"I'm Sally."

"Please verify Sally.""Uh, verify Sally."

"Access granted. I'm Nicole designed by your father's elite institute of science off the record. I'm programmed to reveal special information as you come of age. My voice will also mature ahead of yours."

Rosie studied Nicole. "Very important you never lose her, Sally."

"I have an advanced fail safe. In 24 hours if I remain more than a hundred feet away from Sally. I activate and fly to her from anywhere in the world. My programming is the most advanced on the planet."

"Can't you see satellite or radio anywhere?" Rosie pointed to the ceiling. "You've been inactive for years."

"I'm being jammed half a mile in every direction by an unknown source."

"Can you track it?"

"You bet, girl."

Nicole led them father south to a large dry cavern overhanging a gully. Nicole detected no life forms inside. Rosie and Sally proceeded a hundred feet into the cave with Nicole lighting the place with her built in flashlight. At the end of the cavern rested a hover unit, a desk, and a device inside the secure hover unit.

"What's this?" Rosie said. "If I'm not educated enough this looks like a jammer."

"Correct." Nicole stated. "No malware detected in technologies."

"We have to tell the older members of this," Rosie said, "If all else fails one day, Sally, get everyone to this cave and the hover unit."

Darkness surrounded Knothole during Rosie and Sally's return with everyone almost sound asleep. The jamming signal prevented every kind of technology from finding Knothole. Rotor had to look at it tomorrow.

Rosie and Sally finished with chores and business before turning in. Rosie turned to Sally from her chair. "You have to keep this a secret from everyone. Including Sonic. I know you two have a bright future ahead of you."

"Yeah-" Sally turned under her covers.

"I don't know if there'll be consequences for this, but several years from now you and Sonic with Nicole's help will go back in time. You'll try to prevent this from happening and save me."

Sally turned again after groaning.

"You return to the past to save people. I can't tell you any more than that. Remember to always believe in yourself. And be true to yourself. Good night."

Early in the morning on a field close to Knothole, Max and Sonic played hide and seek. No question who'd win at tag so this was Max's best chance.

Max whispered to himself from under a large pile of leafs. "Sonic can also search the area faster than I can. Uh, oh..."

Sonic stopped at a tree before the leaf pile near Max. "He's gotta be around here somewhere I've checked everywhere else..." Sonic stepped closer to the leafs. He did a twirl that blew away the leaves revealing grass. "Huh..." Sonic scratched his head.

Max hid under the grass of a double layer he prepared in advance. Sonic bolted off. Max crawled from under the grass to climb a tree.

"Ok man, hedgehog number one gives up. Come out!"

"Yeah, I beat you again." Max came up from behind Sonic.

"Mind telling the hedgehog how you do it. Between us hogs?"

"Someday in a fortnight, dude. I'd like to know how you got so fast."

"I don't know. It might be all in the talent and the shoes, man."

"Lets go home." Max gave Sonic a light punch on the upper arm. Sonic returned it to Max's elbow. Before long they were kind of play fighting.

In the situation the two failed to notice a branch in the road. Max went down first bumping his elbow on a rock.

"Hey, you had that coming to ya, man." Sonic stood up helping Max to his feet where he brushed off his black jacket. Sonic noticed his backpack felt lighter seconds later. He reached into it to discover it missing!

"Right here." Max held out the power ring.

"Not cool, man." Sonic reached for the ring. "One joke is good enough for today. Whoa..." He began to illuminate. Max also became swept in the golden bubble.

Sonic took a breath as he harnessed the power of the ring. Not only were the surroundings heightened, but also his senses and feelings. He grabbed Max instinctively for takeoff.

Knothole village passed with the trees, bushes, and trails. The Great River represented another mud puddle as Sonic dashed over it with Max on his back. Sonic ceased his movement of the other side of the river.

"Wow, oh yeah!" Max leapt off. "Were we the first to test these water rings or-whatchamacalits?"

"I don't know except that it's way past cool, man." Sonic put the ring into his backpack. "Several miles in several seconds. I wonder if that's top speed. I guess as my legs get faster and stronger when I get older..."

"With these rings I know we'll be back in Mobotown again someday much sooner. When we evacuate Mr. Large Marge from that city." Max looked into the forest toward Robotroplis's direction. He ducked pulling Sonic down with him.

Max stared at an object hovering a few feet over the ground. It proceeded about thirty feet away in another direction. Max put his finger to his lips. He used his other hand finger to point forward a couple times.

The standard patrolling spyorb found itself unable to move. Sonic struggled to grab the object. Max wrapped his jacket around the spyorb, Sonic unrestrained it, and Max twirl slammed the object towards a tree.

"Sir." Snively turned on a monitor. "We've lost contact with Spyorb 1-667-K. Its last scene was of a large river then it went black.""Send two others to investigate the area." Robotnik turned to Snively in his mechanical revolving chair. Pork chops, pudding, potatoes, peas, and wine for lunch and also for dinner on his side arm of the chair.

"Nearest spyorb 30 minutes away, sah."

Snively went about his duty as Robotnik pigged out. workerbots, former flesh and blood animals turned to robots, brought Robotnik bits of food every now and then with a chef bot to bring out varieties of wine with a main course.

Twenty minutes later something happened. "Finally and sooner than usual."

Snively turned around. "The spyorb couldn't be that quick sir." He turned back to the blinking screen.

Robotnik dropped his fork on his plate while viewing a walrus pretty close up. Two hedgehogs stood behind the walrus's shoulders with a young squirrel and old chipmunk in the background. The view screen went black again.

"Did you see that, Snibbeley?"

"Ah, yes sir. The animals love their forest, sah. You are brilliant sir to suspect something there."

"Good Snively. Now's the chance to implement your plan." He turned all the food away and wine when he left his chair. "Send a battalion to greet our guests at the river."

"We'll go back for it, Rotor." Rosie paced around in the large dinner hut where everyone had gathered. "Knowing Robotnik he'll send reinforcements to check us out. Sooner or later he'd of learned of our existence. We found a way to make him think we're elsewhere."

"How?" Tails jumped onto the table.

"Knothole Village is special." Rosie stepped forward. "We'll do it after they leave. We've been preparing for this over the last few days. We've worked hard and from now on we will fight for our freedom and Mobius."

"Lets do it to it, guys." Sally said.

"We'll get our families and friends to speak of us again." Rosie stepped back. "Max and Sonic tested the power ring. They're our secret weapon and will help us along the way. In the end it will be all our courage that leads us to victory!"

Quiet cheers erupted from the hut as Antoine ran in saying he saw something in the sky. Everyone peeked out the windows at a stealth bot high above the trees. It remained for several seconds before moving on.

"There's a jammer surrounding Knothole." Rosie turned to the others. Max, Sonic, and Tails climbed into one lookout as Antoine, Bunnie, and Rotor climbed to another. Rosie and other residents prepared on the ground as Sally scanned the area with Nicole.

"Hey, I got something." Max moved the binoculars from his eyes to point towards the river. Dark blue mechanical machine soldiers called swatbots crept toward Knothole.

Sonic gave Rosie a sign of someone coming close. The residents scattered for cover. The six lookouts tucked into the treetops.

Minutes later the swatbots were recalled simultaneously with the stealthbots in the air headed for Robotropolis.

"Close call." Rotor said dissecting the spyorb. "I've checked it for traps but the design looks pretty simple. Cat helped me figure a lot of it out."

Silence filled Rotor's workbench in the back of his hut in another room. Rosie, Sally, Sonic, Max, and Tails in watch.

"Simple yet beautiful." Rotor studied the oval-shaped spyorb with pedal-like flaps that can cover it's camera. "It can see in X-ray, infa-read, deep, you name it. I couldn't imagine hiding from one of these.

"Not very sturdy." Tails said.

"Damage was done with Max's slam." Rotor reached deep inside.

"You know that guy's going to send more new and improved models, Rote?"

"Right, Max. You'll need all your strength for those. But keep in mind guys that a bomb could easily fit in here."

"Yo, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sonic said. Everyone looked at one another.

During a freefall to the land below into a canyon of trees and a river, Sonic tried catching his fall. He noticed the flames dissipate several feet in front of him as Max began joining him in the fall.

A Stealth Unit atop a canyon cliff ambushed them during the scenic route of Robotropolis that loomed in the distance. Patrols cut off the main route. The river crawled with them as far as Max and Sonic guessed.

Sonic began contemplating of the end. He left his backpack with the power ring on Max. Inevitable thinking led Sonic to use his super speed in midair to jump off the rock face to grab onto Max.

Max's back hit Sonic. Sonic dropped his backpack in a fight up the canyon cliff wall. Sonic reached into the backpack for the ring as the stealthbot came for another pass.

"Yeah!" Sonic activated the ring augmenting it's power to run along the cliff side into the canyon. An interesting picture of the world move by while running along side the planets gravity. Sonic proved his speed eluding the stealthbot by three hundred feet on top of the raging white river in the early evening twilight.

He used his power ring speed to maneuver along the surface of the water carrying an unconscious Max in his arms. The stealthbot followed from way behind with no avail. The laser blasts missed Sonic tens of feet back causing a hypersonic wave reaching tens of feet in the air.

A stealthbot blasted at Sonic a hundred feet in front. Sonic jumped up as the water rose with him from underneath. Sonic landed in the forest. Hidden by the thicket, Sonic brought Max back to Knothole.

"Did we do it?" Max's lied in bed with an older resident looking over his wounds.

Sonic looked at his friend. "Mission shoo fly don't bother me is in."

The female fox patted Max's head with a cloth and smiled to Sonic. She walked out of the hut.

"Glad you're going to be al right, dude." Sonic gave Max thumbs up. "I don't know about you but I'm craving some chilidogs. Aren't you? I'll be right back."Max smiled when he turned his head the other way to the hanging moon in the night sky outside the window.

Robotnik patrolled much of the city today. From the garbage and growing pollution around the city to new worker bots and swatbots. Production was slow. A swatbot needed a great deal of fine tuning with A.I. One day the process would be fully perfected when Robotnik gets his way.

It was nothing short of being a big bad'nick about it. Everything has all gone according to plan, in addition, his nephew Snively discovered how to robotisize three percent more of the population.

Snively reminded Robotnik that Sonic's Uncle Sir Charles or Chuck was responsible for the invention. Originally designed to replace limbs as Chuck's notes insisted.

Little did Robotnik know a Forbidden Zone formed in a remote part of a city because a wizard desired dark residency.

For now the Spyorbs retrieved plenty of data about Mobius. They even patrolled Robotropolis. Snively approached one to adjust its lens camera. Sally looked straight into his eyes from eye to eye.

"Ok, this spyorb is on our side." Cat said to the group in Rotor's hut. They watched the main control room with Sally seated up front near the television screen.

"Thanks for going to the outskirt to return the spyorb guys." Rosie said to Sonic emphasizing Max that became injured yesterday.

After a little while Robotnik came in. "Snibbely, where's my breakfast?"

"But, this spyorbs is damaged sah; shall I repair it, sah?"

"I don't like failures. Trash it, Snibbely."

"Bu, but..."

"Now!"

"Yes, sah."

"I knew we should have put something in it." Max said.

"We needed the information about Robotropolis." Sally said.

"Awful name, Robotnik." Sonic said.

Sally continued. "We got a great deal of information. But we need to know how to contact the other survivors and to see if Robotnik is onto them."

"You guys I think Snively knows." Rotor and others saw Snively ditch the orb frantically. "It's definitely possible Snively found out about our bug without us knowing. So much for trying again. He'll probably electronically sweep everything now."

"There's plenty of tricks in the ole' bag." Bunnie said.

"We're going to find them all first." Sonic said. "I think it's time to plan our first raid on the city."

A large, stout man with a claw as a hand and a horn sprouting from his head looked at his reflection in a crystal.

The betrayed High Wizard Naugus landed in the crystal maze of the void when Robotnik took over. Naugus manipulated matter to fulfill his will by controlling elements on Mobius, the Void, and many other places.

Years together King Acorn, Sally's father, became trapped too. The King and the Wizard became fast friends vowing to mutually get revenge on Robotnik.

After building a castle with some more pleasantries, the King and Wizard grew indifferent of boredom by not to void their avoiding in their void.

During his experiments, Naugus chanted in a raspy voice unlike the King's charismatic voice. He began commanding the crystal to open the gate back to Mobius. It appeared in random places.

A good concentration of an escape led inside a prison cell somewhere. Probably because of the evil it held enhanced Naugus's magic. Maybe one day it'll be a way out.

King Acorn longs for the day he can see his daughter and kingdom again. Naugus wants revenge on Robotnik and howls into the void each day in frustration and near-boredom.

Naugus opened a portal to view inside a chamber in Robotropolis where two workerbots communicated commands to one another. Several days passed since Robotnik had tightened security from his first intrusion by his own spyorbs.

The workerbots switched between talking in radio and verbal. To any inventor this is the finest example of technology - man to machine. And hopefully vice versa. Nobody on the planet owned a derobotisizer.

Naugus let the image fade. Because of his perfect memory, Naugus knew it was only close to the third year he met the King in the void.

"It's time for the birthday man to make a wish." Rosie set a cake in front of Antoine wearing a napkin from out of his collar. The cake had an eleven on it.

"I don't feel two years older than most of you." Max dropped a gift on the table near the window.

"All the plans are made so tomorrow we high tail for robotown." Sonic mentioned. "Today we celebrate the Ant's birthday.""Wee wee. Zthank you all." Antoine tried to blow out the trick candles Max put on the cake. "Aww, why izz thees doing that?"

Others tried to blow them out. They removed all the candles before any more wax dripped onto the cake. Half the room looked at Sonic; the other half Max.

Final checks happened on all the supplies for the raid. The proper intelligence was gathered. Sonic and Max did final inspections on the materials. Afterwards, they went to the wrestling ring Cat and Rotor recently constructed.

"What will it be tonight, best out of twenty, forty?" Max said.

"With these weights on me to balance my super speed and your strength I dunno, man." Sonic looked at the athletics stuff.

"I could never pin you unless you agreed to go slow. Wrestling does more for your body."

"It's getting late man, but I'll have a few goes." Sonic jumped onto the mat in the ring. Max soon joined.

The competitors had the night to themselves for their practice. Sonic and Max agreed to a set of rules keeping the fight balanced.

"You're getting tired, Sonic." Max tried for a half nelson.

"Too slow, Max." Sonic freed himself rolling to the edge of the ring. Sonic released the weights on his limbs to pummel Max.

"Aww!" Max cried out. "Hey, what, put those back on."

Sonic used his speed to pin himself with Max on the floor.

"Oh, uh, Sonic. It's not fair. Stop..."

"Dude, what you did to Ant. It could get someone in a lot of trouble. They thought I did it because I had a talk with Antoine today over a present."

"I was only joking. Hey, no hard feelings, dude. Lets take a break.""Good idea." Sonic found jump ropes to tie Max's hands and feet to the corner's of the mat. Sonic reached for a recording device.

"I'll leave your confesso in a safe place for Antoine. He'll decide what to do with ya here in the morning, man."

Sonic walked off as a drip of water from the clouds landed on Max's nose. Sonic left a sign saying to ask Antoine first.

The light rain had cleared away much of the debris from the land raising the Great River water level. The bright cheery morning replaced the drizzly night.

Flowers and trees covered the bank of the calm river as Sonic ran down it's center with Sally by aide of a power ring. They traveled half a mile before the water became treacherous.

Sonic and Sally traveled between cliff walls about a hundred feet high in a large pool area. A shadow filled the canyon darkening the calm rippled water surface.

Sonic and Sally climbed up a hill tract on the other end of the cliff. The rest of the river fell into white waves in the sunlight.

"We're at the edge of the jamming signal, Sonic." Sally moved upwards.

Sonic ran ahead. "Cool, Sal. Land ho!" He took her hand for the top twenty feet above them.

"There's so much Robotnik hasn't touched." Sally gazed over the forest top to the mountains in the north.

"I bet there's all kind of adventure out there." Sonic gazed too. Forest surrounded them on the cliff with darkness pervading in the direction of Robotropolis.

Sonic turned to the darkness. "We can't let that guy get this far. We need to keep him bottled up in Mobotown."

"Rosie was talking about new clothing for Tails. We also need a fresh supply of wood. It can wait until after the raid."

"..Yeah, good, Sal." Sonic faced Sally then removed papers from his backpack.

"Here's the city maps I've copied from the original. Nicole can give us the names of all these locations. Looks like Robotnik's expanding..."

Sonic and Sally continued to study after lunch. Sally took notes. "And this area has been clear of Robotnik's activity. It's called the Forbidden Zone. It appeared about a year ago. Robotnik doesn't know why."

"Cool, an emergency escape route."

"The air, land, and bay are filling up with pollution, Sonic. I don't think Robotnik plans to clean it up."

"Not cool."

"There are also reports of weather changes and activity throughout the globe. We have to start now before it gets worse."

"Yeah, lets send Robotnik to his own dump and dumper."

"That's why Rosie wanted us to learn so much. It is for the days we fight for our freedom ahead of us."

"Everything ready." Sonic stood up. "We go over the plan tonight with everyone then high tail it early in the morning."

"One more thing, Sonic. The wind is chilly."

Sonic put his arm around Sally while the sun slipped away. A little while later they descended the hill, traveled atop the water, to return to Knothole.

"Go!" King Acorn jumped from one floating rock to another. "I wish I had your powers Naugus." The Wizard Naugus also jumped from floating rock to rock.

King Acorn waited for the floating rocks to arrive. Naugus glided without trouble from one to the next.

"Interesting you can tell time with this place." The King said to Naugus. Below them lived a swirling dark mass encompassed by a yellow ring leading into distant misty clouds over a sun. They departed the familiar crystal land-mass behind them.

"Not that well, King." Naugus's feet patted another rock. "The images get stronger in this direction. I need you to witness the events too. One showed your old castle in the real world."

"-How often does it happen-?"

"It takes several attempts to see another time. Most of the time I see the present. To be brutally honest my power has limits." Naugus landed on a large floating island over the dark void with the yellow misty sunset at the horizon.

"Almost there, Wizard." The King landed next to Naugus with a slight knee-bend. The flat landmass mourned a few trees. Very soon, they traveled upon gargoyle statues next to a hill face with stairs to the top about a hundred fifty feet.

The King and the Wizard reached the peak realizing the expanse prevented them from continuing anymore from this flat hill top.

"Are you going to attempt it?" The King watched out.

"In a moment. I sense something." Naugus checked the surrounding area.

"Razza zoh, tao toh, vlee ma cha ma ahhh!" A dimensional distortion surrounded them.

"You did it, Wizard. I recognize my old battle bunker."

Naugus looked. "There's one right here inside the Void. It's a bright flash in front of us."

"Hey, looks what's happening. The images are becoming three-dimensional...and getting larger."

"Bingo! It looks like you escape the void one day, King."

The King looked over as the image vanished. Another image appeared causing a tear to roll down his face. Sally, his daughter, and him finished hugging in the throne room. Then Robotnik plowed through the wall in a hover unit as the image ended.

"Too bad most of them are from the present and show nothing." The wizard peeked. "Here's one of Snively fixing an antenna."

"I guess that's it. The images are beginning to fade."

"That's all?" Naugus watched the images splinter around them. The horizon shook in the two individuals eyes. The King regained his composure.

"Not a good sign."

Naugus flew down the stairs as the rock began to crumble. He passed the statues to wait at the cliff edge for the King. The floating rocks momentum increased. In moments the floating island departed.

Naugus's raspy voice screamed over the commotion. "Lets go!" Naugus gave the King the ability to fly down over the crumbling castle revealing a perched frozen owl.

The King and Naugus leapt off the island for the expedient incoming floating rock. Naugus chanted causing them to float to the surface.

"Maybe we should stay on the island." The King said before leaping with Naugus.

"I don't think we'd survive the trip." Naugus continued forward.

They jumped down to a horizontal shifting rock instead of a vertical one. The King and the Wizard waited for a vertical rock to align perpendicular with them.

"We need to build a gym when we return." The King said. They glimpsed around witnessing the floating island became bathed in light painting the island with life. The horizon engulfed the island within a minute.

The floating rocks gravity weakened falling into the swirling mist starting from the floating islands original location.

King Acorn picked up the pace to outrace each rocks slow yet rising descent. When the rocks impacted the swirling mist the splash erupted underneath the dark surface.

"Max, we're almost there!" Naugus trampled the wind while the last of the rocks fell onto the darkness sinking in its landing position.

Naugus helped the King jump from rock to rock. Many rocks had taken the fall into the swirling darkness to sink into oblivion. Naugus leaped to the crystal cliff face thirty feet ahead clinging with the King at his side. All the rocks had submerged forever.

Naugus used his power to fly them to the cliff edge above. They caught their breath during their awe into the expanse for a minute.

"Wow, what an experience." The King kicked his heel. "We gotta go floating-island hunting more often. Thanks for the rescue."

"So much for learning more about the outside. I can try my powers here, but that island had magical properties. I could feel it." The raspy wizard turned away.

"It will take time to understand this place." Naugus told King Acorn on the way back. "Not only is my magic changing but also my dreams speak back. I can see myself in other places in the Void. Like where I've been and where I'm going to be."

They returned to a castle Naugus has constructed out of magic for residence. The void supported grass and water allowing the cultivation of food.

"Good night, Max. It's been a long day or night." Naugus entered his chambers locking the door behind him with magic. The King turned into his room.

Max Acorn removed his crown placing it on a stand. He reached under his bed for a case of notes, pens, emblems, and other items he procured from his reign as King. He had it under his coat when Robotnik imprisoned him here during the initial takeover.

Max read a note with several names and locations on it. "I have to get this to Sally one day."

Max put it all away after bringing his violin with him on the balcony. A musical tune floated off the violin over the pulsing light generated by the glowing crystal.

Max played his heart out with a soft melody known by his daughter before bed. In the sky the planet Mobius orbited near from a magical illusion created by the void. The King rested the violin allowing the air to play the tune as his hand grasped for the planet.

Rotor navigated the spyorbs across the perimeter plain of Robotropolis to ensure safe passage for the freedom fighters. "I have the remote detonator for the bomb inside the orb." Rotor told the group of freedom fighters. Sally gave him a hand signal from behind a hill side closer to the city.

"Eez these going to wurk?" Antoine shivered in his outfit of a royal suit and boots for this mission.

"Don't worry, Antoine." Sally returned observing the plain through binoculars. Rotor signaled the orb reached the designated location.

Sally led Bunnie, Rotor, Antoine, Tails, Cat, and six others into the city. They noticed before reaching the inner perimeter construction cranes towering to the sky. Empty buildings aligned the lonely city streets.

"Sure is quiet." Rotor picked up the rear in another division.

"We can cover more ground when Robotnik's guard is low." Cat said from the lead position. "Our main goal is reconnaissance."

"This is the way, Sallygirl." Bunnie said from right behind her. Sally's group climbed the inner side of a secondary tower next to Robotnik's main tower. Below in the streets dead grass and past remnants of home still lingered. A few pipes covered the ground leading building to building.

"Duck." Cat said. His group ducked into an alley to avoid a single hover unit from spotting them. "It's an oval-shaped flying object without propellers usually piloted by two swatbots."

Half of Sally's group kept lookout while the other half helped her jury-rig a hub of wires on a platform.

"There. Nicole can hook up to it now." Sally plugged a wire into Nicole.

"Hey there, Sally. Lets get downloadin'."

"Sally-" A thin vixen said coming up the ladder. "Something's going on down there."

"Just a second." Sally continued with Nicole as the others focused on the ground. "Someone focus all over." Another freedom fighter took the job.

The others paid attention on two swatbots in front and two behind leading several workerbots down the paved street.

"Daddy-" The vixen used her hand to cover the younger freedom fighters mouth.

"Oh, my gosh. Robotnik has done something terrible again. Everyone but Antoine get back to Max. I need to call for Sonic.""Yes, Sally." They all said.

"Wait for them to get a ways before taking the escape route." Sally locked up Nicole. "I downloaded a great deal. Thanks everyone."

"No problem, Sal." An older male freedom said as he took off with the others.

Sally and Antoine crossed the paved street for Rotor and Bunnie. They moved onto a conspicuous sidewalk route towards a factory. The ground turned into layered cement indicating a more advanced, active side of Robotropolis.

"Yo, what's up, guys." Sonic whispered from a tube beside them. Antoine fell back a couple yards.

"Stay with us, Ant." Sonic moved along side Sally. They crossed a large opening sneaking behind a building from the street. Antoine remained at the previous building to catch his breath.

"No Ant, don't come over." Rotor said. Sally, Sonic, Rotor, and Bunnie ducked behind the building as a male raccoon workerbot came around the corner with others.

The workerbots proceeded away for Antoine to join the others. Bunnie lifted a plate off a tube allowing Sonic to lead the way inside.

Antoine, Bunnie, and Rotor began back to assist Max that they haven't heard from. Sonic and Sally proceeded up two levels into the main room. A large door sat against the far wall with large turbines aligned in rows in the plant.

"Meet Mr. Big Bad Uglies." Sonic said to two swatbots in front of him and Sally. Sally ducked out of sight as the swatbot leapt for Sonic. He stuck out his tongue to lure them away as Sally ran to view over the railing edge.

swatbots tossed laser projectiles at a blue blur while the sky near the Great Forest lit up in identical laser fire. Sally knew the other freedom fighters had been cut off.

"Something must have happened to Max. Gotta hurry." After some acrobatics tricks in the ceilings she landed on a platform to set a decryption algorithm in a computer for thirty seconds.

"Whoa, gotta juice." Sonic dodged an angry metal mob. "Hey, I like that line...Whoa! Dead end." He halted at the large doors where the swatbots caught up with him. The machines menacing eyes glowed red with their built in laser arms pointed at Sonic.

"I guess my goose is almost cooked." Sonic turned away gulping before reminiscing Knothole and his friends.

Sonic tilted to the frisbee-thrown power ring from mid air. The golden glow surrounded him upon racing forward catching Sally. She noticed the raging water began engulfing the swatbots with the plant.

Sonic used his super speed to jet out of the factory that exploded in fury after a few volts ran around the structure. Rotor, Bunnie, and Antoine assisted other freedom fighters escape thanks to a hover unit at the perimeter where Max led the assault.

"Sah." Snively relayed a message through the intercom from another part of the city.

"I see, Snibbely. We have a new group to attend with. Today won't be an introduction ceremony."

Snively left a message on the monitor for Robotnik now in the main control room. Snively heard Robotnik's furious scream at the hydro plants fate.

"Yo, dudes. Stay down and fire. Ahhh!" Max streamed laser fire into swatbots. "Coordinate on the center of the line."

The freedom fighters disrupted the center causing the outer squad to disperse. "All right, that's how we do it!" Max said. "Draw the swatbots fire from the hover unit."

Reinforcements arrived overpowering Max. His luck ended with a laser strike to the back of his left arm.

Max and Sonic played backup to be ambushed by the hidden swatbots under the trash heaps. The return of Sally's division triggered the swatbots reprisal.

Max's looked into the blurry smoky sky to bolts whizzing overhead. A distance thrum rekindled his memory of a recent quick trip to the river.

Sonic arrived with Sally thrashing the swatbots. A combination of way past cool deflect the bolts off the yellow ring back at the swatbots met Max's eyes.

Max became informed in the infirmary he took the only injury. Outside, Sally kissed Sonic in front of an unhappy Antoine. The Great River that Robotnik desired to power his plant while wrecking the wildlife streamed again. The FF's cheered.

A drop of water landed on the pool surface. Max and Sally slept on a blanket over night upstream from knothole. Max's arm had fully healed leaving a scar.

"You know, Max. You always remind me of how brave and cunning you are. I can see you being a great asset to us all."

"Exactly as you said it, Sally."

"Today and forever."

"Unusually warm night last night." He turned away from her.

"Yeah." Sally sighed.

"It'll take a great offensive to do it. Are we ready?"

"If we wait too long more people will get captured. I got the information when we invaded Robotropolis a month ago."

"Is it reliable?"

"Nicole never lies, Max."

"Are there things she doesn't tell us?" Max snatched Nicole from Sally.

"Hey, giver her back. Uh huh huh huuuh...Max!"

"And here and there and here..."

"Thank you for finally giving it back, Max Hedgehog. Don't make me sick Sonic on you."

"There's so much work, time, and planning ahead of us, Sally. I know we'll win some day. I can see it."

"We'll undo Robotnik's robot maker."

"We'll see everyone again."

"My father and the two people who rescued us when Robotnik took over. I wonder if they're still alive and well."

"I know we'll see them all again. I promise you that."

"We'd better get breakfast with the others. Rosie is cooking a great one today."

"I'll be there soon.""Don't fall asleep, Max."

Sally returned to Knothole. She stopped by the ring grotto noticing a power ring floating atop the water. Rotor emerged grabbing the ring with a ruler in the other hand.

"Rotor, how's it going?" Sally stepped down the recently mowed embankment.

Rotor stepped onto the grass. "I've taken measurements over the last three weeks. According to my calculations I've confirmed what I realized."

"What is that, Rotor?"

"The crystal is shrinking."

"Really?"

"Don't worry. It has about a decade or so of time left. Maybe we can find a substitute or another crystal before then."

"More news all the time."

"I think it depends on how many power rings we use. I can set the device from six hours to one week. I'm still learning."

"Great job, Rotor. I can smell Rosie's food from here."

"We'll prepare for another week and get every last supply ready. We have to give this mission our best swing." Sally said to the others after breakfast in the same hut.

During the day the Freedom Fighters worked. Sonic oversaw the garrisons. Max also helped by cataloging the supplies. Antoine polished all the weapons.

Sally, Rosie, Cat, and older members made plans. Rotor tinkered with new items in his shop. Tails needed someone to play sports with him.

And Bunnie did a great deal of cleaning before constructing chairs and tables after putting on makeup. She rubbed lotion on her dry arms and legs.

"Coming up, sky hog." Bunnie tossed Sonic a hammer on top of the hut roof. Knothole comprised of huts and cabins that needed maintenance at this time.

"Where's Rotor when ya need him." Sonic hammered.

"Making a secret project, sugurhog." Bunnie took off.

Rotor approached Sonic.

"Yo, Rote you made a hedgehog's day." Sonic grabbed it and ran onto a tree stump. "Yo, hey, knothole, here we come Robotnik. We all know you have no kicks. Cause you're stuck in your pants in the icky oil slick." Sonic jammed on the guitar.

"You're welcome, Sonic." Rotor tried to say over everyone's shouts.

"It needs to be painted." Sonic jammed again. "How about the color of my eyes or my quills?"

"I've created a backup for Nicole in this large computer we found in the shed." Sally said to no one.

"I also have blueprints of basic machinery drafted." Rotor said.

"I eem drafting anoo cookbooke." Antoine danced around letting the book slip onto a large bulldog's toe. "Excuem mwha. You are touching thee fine recipe."

The bulldog sneered.

"I'm so proud of you, children." Rosie came out of her hut. "I know you're going to succeed many decades to come..."

"Rosie!" Sally shouted. Other FF's halted their break.

"I think it's her age that's she's passed out." Cat said to everyone in the infirmary. "Everyone else can return to work now. We're still going in the morning as planned."

"Any ideas?" Sally said.

"She passed out from fatigue or a fever most likely." Cat felt Rosie's forehead. "She should be good in a couple days."

"Thanks Cat.""Definitely. I took some medical courses back in my days."

"Well, good night, Cat. Good night, Rosie." Sally trekked to Rosie's hut to double check if anything needed to be stored away. Rosie's hut was clean as a whistle. An unfinished quilt rested on the bed.

Sally admired it as the moon hung in the sky out the window. Its beams touched the patch of Knothole. Sally glanced about the room before returning to the door. She closed the top ajar chest of drawer with a note inside concerning Max in the near future.

"We'll leave Bunnie and Feldo behind to care for Rosie." Sonic told the others before their departure. The early morning sun parallel with the treetops.

Sally grabbed both of Bunnie's hands as they said goodbye to one another. Others said goodbye to Feldo and left flowers for Rosie.

"Lets move out, everyone!" Max waved his arm forward towards Robotropolis.

"Lets do it to it, everyone." Sally looked side to side.

At the perimeter of the Great Forest at the far side of Robotropolis the Freedom Fighters prepared for their coming assault on the target.

Many of the male freedom fighters lead by Rotor and Max used spyorbs to blend in with other spyorbs and swatbots patrolling the perimeter of a large double platform.

Other freedom fighters set up a jamming signal to an antenna to monitor communication and to coordinate some of the assault.

"It looks a quarter of a mile in a circle." A freedom fighter commented.

"About a third. That's what happens when you're late for meetings." Rotor replied. "It was going to go online in a year from now." He winked. "The top platform is about a quarter mile in diameter."

"Security is minimal right now." Sally said.

"Look." Antoine pointed to the opening top platform. The freedom fighters without Spyorbs watched as workerbots mounted hovercrafts with swatbots.

"They're boarding the hovercrafts to return to the city for maintenance." Sally took a good look. "They go for a day about once a week."

"That Robotnik scum." A rough voiced freedom fighter said.

"Lockjaw's next." Rotor said. Referring to Robotnik.

"Ok, the workerbots have left. Light it up, boys." Sonic said cliché. The spyorbs erupted in flames from the freedom fighters remote signal. The bombs hidden in the spyorbs tore up the perimeter swatbots to the platform creating a cloud of smoke blocking out the afternoon sun.

From the smoke the additional swatbots began to fire. Only a third of the swatbots remained in the building. The Freedom Fighters used infrared scanners to penetrate the smoke.

"Keep firing. We've got them!" Max shouted.

Sonic noticed swatbots attempting to flank on the near side. He took commanded of the able Freedom Fighters, mostly older males, to follow him. They defended the flank.

"That's most of them. There's deeper inside the structures. Plod carefully everyone." The Freedom fighters suffered no injuries, minor injuries, a few major injuries, and only a couple serious injuries.

"As planned get the seriously injured back to Knothole and return." A female freedom fighter carried four people off using a medical hover pad designed for travel. One insisted on remaining to fight after getting some rest.

About two-thirds of the remaining freedom fighters planned on entering the platforms. After a minute two more people had to follow after the majority. The entire elite cast took people to lead.

"You know which way to go." Max said to Rotor's group.

"Yeah." Rotor opened a door. "Sally's group has gone ahead. You guys do it to it to the swatbots. We're heading for the source of it."

"Right. Lets go." Max moved through the open door. He can to a fork in the tunnel that led left or right in a circular shape. Sally's group took the upper platform above Max's group.

Max spun in his fall to shoot a swatbot that hid in the right tunnel. The swatbot exploded into pieces.

"Taking no chances with the weapon settings." Max hissed.

The Freedom Fighters monitored communications to see if Robotnik noticed any of this despite the explosions. The system passed it off as a weapons drill ordered by the lead swatbot in charge.

The Freedom Fighters waiting outside missed the commotion within the platform. An occasional freedom fighter appeared on the top platform to signal a succeeding invasion. The communication tower confirmed it.

A freedom fighter carried off another with a broken leg. Max squatted to observe the next room ahead. A dim light shone from somewhere in the ceiling. Inside the large room the platforms converged.

Other groups including Sally's entered from other hallways. Sally's group met up with Max by himself.

"We made it to the main antenna. The control room is through that door beside where you came in." Sally looked around. "Only you made it."

Max caught his breath. "It was quite a fight here. Mostly injuries though."

"We didn't have much trouble." Sally said. "Rotor managed to unlock all the doors remotely from the main control center in the basement."

"Great. Place the explosives at the bottom of the antenna. I'll do the control room." Max went alone into the control room area. Sally took the others down into the antenna.

"What is going on, Snibbely?" Robotnik plowed into the main control center.

"The silent alarm triggered in the antenna's main control room, sir. All communications have gone out, sah."

"Find me the swatbot, wokerbot, or person who did it.""Yes, sir."

"Sally we've got company on the way. You must have tripped an alarm." A communication freedom fighter said over the walkie talkie to Sally.

"Right, tell everyone to immediately to set their bombs in good locations. We'll blow it when everyone is accounted for. Begin evacuations."

Max heard the message to abandon the control room as all the doors shut. The skyroof opened shooting everyone outside to the late afternoon. Five other smaller antennas sprouted from each perimeter equidistance in a pentagram.

Known by the Freedom Fighters, the five secondary antennas boosted the primary antenna in the center. A group of freedom fighters occupied each antenna. Sonic had the one furthest away.

Each antenna rose fifty feet into the air with ladders attached down at the top platform.

"Lets get outta here!" Max again waved to everyone. A freedom fighter in Sally's group reached for the ladder when a pole suddenly struck him. He tumbled over the side hanging on the white metal edge for dear life near the ladder.

"Oh, my gosh." Sally stared at the white metal poles.

"Eeeww." Antoine said from his antenna.

Sonic revved up at his antenna.

"No way!" Max assisted the hanging freedom fighter as the antenna poles came to life. The antenna took swings and jabs at the intruders.

Sally acrobatically swung from one living pole to the next avoiding attacks to fire her weapon at the poles. Antoine sliced them apart with his sword.

Max's keen senses and strength allowed him to dodge while taking accurate shots wiping out the poles.

"Yawn time." Sonic said. He ran circles around the poles. Other freedom fighters hid behind non-living metal in addition to fighting back.

Max drew the fire of one pole that seriously injured another freedom fighter that required medical attention. Sally tripped then rolled right back up. Antoine's danced metal to metal. The metal kept growing from inactive metal antenna.

"We can't keep this up!" Sally yelled. Sonic sliced with his spin saw attack through a couple more metal poles before busting out a power ring. His spinning attack glowed yellow tearing asunder all his metal poles. With his group able to leave the antenna, Sonic ran across cables to Antoine's group.

"Ahh!" Sally screamed when a pole struck her shoulder blade. She lost her balance to become vulnerable during her dangling over the ground on a thin cable.

"Sally!" Max yelled. He maneuvered to Sally with the poles closing. He grabbed her immediately unnoticing a pole that a Lion had gripped between his ribcage and armpit.

The lion lost his weapon in the scuffle. Five freedom fighters total struggled at Sally's antenna as the golden glow illuminated from two antennas away. The freedom fighters Sonic rescued descended the ladders.

"Oh! Ah! Uhhh!" The lion moaned from a strike by a pole. Max helped Sally up taking a graze in his torso. He returned to destroying the poles with his gun. The lion found relief as other poles trapped the remaining freedom fighters.

Sally and Maxed fired up at the source of the poles freeing the lion and others. They were on their own for several seconds longer before the poles renewed.

Max dashed over handing his weapon to the lion. "It's my turn to take it." Max dodged and rolled to still take some blows. Sally's gun jammed so back to acrobatics.

The lion fired for dear life. The others did their best to dodge. Max cringed as a pole grazed his left arm tearing away part of the jacket sleeve.

The sun brightened as a golden glow snapped all the poles into metal fragments. Sonic stopped spinning from the glow in mid-air as the power ring faded. "Am I cool or what?"

"Thanks for giving a bro a hand." Max said. "Pick him up." Max pointed to the injured freedom fighter. The Lion carried him on his back to the ladder.

At the bottom of the ladder, Sonic and Max helped everyone else off. They booked for perimeter to meet up with the rest of the team. Hover units dotted the dimming sky when they emerged from inside Robotropolis.

"Everyone's accounted for, Rote. Blow the sucker." Sonic commanded. They covered their eyes. Nothing. The metal poles returned to their original positions.

"What no explosion." Antoine said.

"I can't get anyone on communication." Sally said.

"Damn, must be a damping signal set up. And we can't do it by hand." Rotor said.

"We've pretty much lived, breathed, and ate this place over the past weeks. We all know how to disarm it but guess the two who's are to blow that sucker." Max said.

"It's very dangerous." Sally said.

"Hide in the forest, Sal. No time to talk. When Max and I get back you'll be able to blow the thing."

"All right then. Do it to it guys." Sally held up her thumb. Max and Sonic bolted.

Max kept up at about a third as fast as Sonic without expending much energy. He gained stamina over Sonic's speed.

Max and Sonic entered a control room on the upper platform as shadows of hover units swarmed overhead.

"It looks like the death Doppler has been raided." Snively said.

"Tell the swatbots to hold fire." Robotnik said.

"Something's wrong, sah. I'm unable to raise them.""How can this day get worse?" Robotnik pounded on the console.

"Ok, disarm this jamming beacon." Max hit several buttons when pounding from the outside erupted above them.

"Gotta juice. The botbutt's are breakin' in. Hop on my back Max and give us cover."Max took out his weapon as a loud thud hit the building. Sparks flied as Sonic booked from the control room for another control room.

Max fired into the sky at hover units firing down at them. Shots hit cables and generators along the way leading to a chain reaction to other power stations.

"Whoooaa!" Sonic avoided the danger around him. The control room sustained minor damages as Max quickly disarmed the jamming device.

Max and Sonic took off for the third one. Some swatbots landed on the platforms trying to cut them off. Max fired a large charge in front of the swatbot line destroying them.

"No barbecue hedgehog today." Sonic jittered at an arc of energy streaming between him and the control room with some popping around. "Out of power rings."

"We have to dare it, Sonic. If Robotnik gets this place working he'll be able to track every living thing on the planet. No where and no technology can save us then."

Sonic concentrated his wit to hop through the arcs. He somersaulted twenty feet in the air catching the ground with his eyes while upside down. Ten feet below during the jump the arc appeared like Sonic and Max's jump rope.

Sonic landed onto the ground from the orange sky. He and Sonic entered. "Hurry, Max." Max got to work as more laser fire surrounded the control room.

"Done." Max completed the disarming to approach Sonic turned towards the door. A small arc of energy zapped Max in the back of the head. He stumbled to Sonic's arms.

"Whoa. All right, man?"

"Yeah, Sonic. Lets finish this place."

Sonic and Max reached the last control room in record time. Sally's voice came clear to the guys ears.

"We're on our way out." Max glared at the hover units landing to cut off their escape. Max picked his mark firing a large blast at a squad enabling Sonic to run. Sonic succeeded in dodging the shots from about forty swatbots.

Sonic leapt off the platform with Max on back. Sally began programming the sequence upon their return. The swatbots tried shooting from the top platforms instead hurling into the sky by a large explosion. Sally, Max, Sonic, and the others ducked a ways into the forest.

A blast of smoke, wind, and dirt filled the air as the FF's took cover behind trees or in low ground. Sonic used most of his remaining strength to twirl deflecting the debris.

The shockwave of the blast slammed into the bank of the Great Forest moments ago. The freedom fighters went home into the forest as flying debris hit the treetops.

Dust covered Robotnik's window as the control consoles went haywire. "The explosion by the antenna damaged much of the city side, sah. It's caused a huge power surge."

"Ahhh!" Robotnik screamed. He held onto his mechanically chair. Cluck flew in circles as all the lights flickered.

"Estimated time to full recovery. Two years, sah."

"Curse. You. Freedom. Fighters!" Robotnik tore his chair off the hinges. It broke through the main control room window to the ground below. Snively ducked away as a red-faced Robotnik stared into the Great Forest through the dark mist.

"While we wait for Rosie to come about. We're all proud to have dealt Robotnik a crippling blow!" Sally announced as the party began. Cheers roared.

After a short rest, Max and Sonic inspected the Knothole jamming signal.

"How ya feeling', man."

"A little light-headed Sonic."

"I swear I can hear the party from here. We'll be done A.S.A.P." Sonic lifted the device with Max to the cavern floor from the hover unit.

Sonic turned to a shut hover unit door. "Hey, no joking around, Max."

"By the order of Robotnik. Apprehend Sonic."

"Hey, that's not cool, man. Let us out."

Max's eyes glowed red. Then faded. "Sonic, the antenna. You have to stop me..."

_That's right. The antenna has similar technology as the robotisizer. Could that blast on the antenna change Max?_

Sonic spun away from Max's swing. Sonic's feet caught the floor.

"No, man! Fight it! Don't change on us!"

"Hedgehog priority one!"

"Max-!"

"I've always been in your shadow. You've always been faster and better than me. Not after today, man." Max came again. Sonic swung to the side. He peeked out of the cockpit window to see the skyline. Max set the panel to autopilot back to Robotropolis.

"Good bye, Sonic." Max pulled out a gun for Sonic's chest. The blast blew out the window instead cooling the warm hover unit air. Sonic ran outside through the broken window to find them a hundred feet above the treetop with no power ring. The last of the daylight glinting on Sonic.

"Whoa, way past scary." Sonic ran to the back to deal with the engine controls as Max climbed half out the window spotting Sonic.

Sonic ducked from the laser blasts dropping opening the panel. Max stood up on the control console for a better shot at Sonic.

Sally attended to Rosie in the bed. Sally picked up the hairbrush that fell along side of the bed to return it to the top drawer. She took the note before dashing outside calling for Max and Sonic.

"That was your last chance, Sonic." Max aimed for Sonic firing. Sonic through a wrench at Max's hand deflecting the blast. Sonic threw a hammer knocking the gun inside the hover unit. Sonic used the opportunity to slug Max in the face.

Max dodged the other swing kicking Sonic back to the engine area outside. Sonic held his gut from the strong punch by Max when the air became colder.

Max approached a dodging Sonic anticipating the movement. Sonic grabbed onto the door handle on the side of the hover unit. Sonic used his super speed to traverse the bottom of the hover unit whacking Max's behind.

Max's sturdy stance jilted him to the edge of the hover unit. He rolled onto his back catching Sonic's kick. Max lifted Sonic's foot shoving him backwards as the hover unit continuing rising.

Max and Sonic traded blows on top the flying hover unit like a normal fist fight. Sonic received greater damage giving Max the upper hand.

Then Max jumped towards Sonic. They hurled at one another in mid air like a neutrons and protons of an atom. The sky, sun, forest, and horizon vectoring different places in disjointed angles. The two fought arduous shaking the whole craft.

Sonic saw Max whisper. "I'm sorry I let you down. Finish me while you have the chance. Save Knothole."

_Unimaginable thoughts and feeling flooded my mind. I feel something love can't describe. It went beyond love-beyond existence. That's why I rammed into my bro._

Max twirled off the hover unit to the dark forest below. The stars shrank as Max took his last fall to the land below. Max glinted at his brother above reaching down in a painful shout. Max was lost in the unseen shadows.

The hover unit, the land, atmosphere, and Sonic went silent. Sonic pulled back on top of the hover unit through his injuries wiping the tears off his face.

Sally cried during Max's funeral service. "I can't believe he's gone."

The entire village residents set flowers out over Max's burial site past the ring grotto in a secluded grove. They prayed the grove to receive no further freedom fighter.

"I love you, Max. No matter where you are! Safe hunting in your new life." Sonic held his flowers out to the perfect sunny day. The rest of the village said their goodbyes. Rosie and Cat had started reading a will of final words that everyone wrote before the antenna mission. Rosie found Max's lines.

"I know I'm gone. I went out fighting to free Mobius. No matter what happens I'll always be there to protect you in your hearts and memories. It's too bad I won't see us all grow up together and see Tails become a freedom fighter. Hang in there and free Mobius for me. You can do it to it, guys."

Everyone mourned before leaving. Sally and Sonic remained.

"I don't know what to say, Sonic...I..." She cried. Sonic held her.

"Lets stop at nothing. We'll never forget Max. We'll save Max and everyone else as always. I promise..."

"I promise too, Sonic."

A year later a baby was born in Knothole by an older couple besides Cat and Rosie. The couple visited Max's grave where Sonic and Sally had touched up the tombstone.

The couple decided on the name Max after Mobius's hero, Max Hedgehog. Sonic and the couple with the baby turned to the busy Knothole life.

Sally remained on Max. She set a rose right in the center of the tombstone. A tear came to her eye as she looked into the cloudy and sunny sky. The world turned and life kept flowing as a breath of fresh wind surrounded her.

Birds took to the air, flowers bloomed, water flowed, and the grass grew while the sky smiled on Sally with the other Freedom Fighters in Knothole.

**-Revised journal entry of Rosie of the Freedom Fighters.**

End of story.

Note: Mostly to tie up loose ends with the series and introduce the author's character. I spent under a month revising this story. I declined to novel-edit only a short fanfic. If you found this fic somewhere, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you everyone. (11,111 words on September 11, 2010).

-Mark Briggs (Max Hedgehog).


End file.
